NEW ALBANY, Miss. (WTVA) — Firefighters are asking families to check their homes for fire hazards during Fire Prevention Week. Fire Prevention Week gives families a chance to look around their homes for potential fire hazards. Firefighters urge families to check their smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.Families should also create a fire escape plan: know how to escape a home and designate an outside meeting spot.With winter approaching, firefighters also recommend keeping space heaters at least three to four feet away from curtains or blankets and keeping the area clear when cooking. Dry conditions across north Mississippi have also raised concerns outside the home. The Mississippi Forestry Commission’s latest burn ban map shows some previously reported bans have ended while others remain in effect. Officials say residents should check the current status for their county before doing any outdoor burning. “Nobody should be burning right now, but if you see somebody burning, contact somebody so we can make sure it is a controlled burn...that way it doesn’t get out of hand,” North Haven volunteer firefighter Josh Wagner explained. “All it takes is just a little gust of wind...now you’ve got a fire spreading out of control.”Fire Prevention Week continues through Saturday. Copyright 2026 WTVA. All rights reserved.